Well it is very bitter sweet, we won but i mean it was average, that is being kind. It was a weird feeling as i missed my first home game since COVID in 2020, my anniversary so wife wins that one lol. But it was a game where the first 15mins we looked like a team that was full of quality, bit like a training session so to speak. Then St. George noticed AMS the rookie paired with Ravalawa and attacked that side to some reward. Simply put St. George overall were the better team, we used our class and skill in order to get the job done, but credit to St. George Illawarra they were up and ready.
Before i go forward i wanted to talk about the debutant, Arthur Miller-Stephen. Overall, it was an OK debut, but from what i saw he is still very raw and not ready for FG. He more likely will get his 2nd game next week v Brisbane, tough ask against Cobbo unless BA moves him to the other side again. He showed energy, speed and composure at times, then showed inexperience, nerves and rawness later on also. Overall, i think he could be a fine FG player, but we still need to sign a Centre and a Winger in 2024, will allow AMS to develop more. Also, he has only played 7 games in NSW cup, all at Fullback, being a winger is different. Sean Russell when he debuted in 2021 did play a few games in Cup on the Wing before debuting. Will AMS be the future winger/fullback at Parramatta? I have no idea, but he is worth investing in and seeing what he can become. At worst he could be a fine depth winger/fullback to throw in when times are tough. He put his body on the line so that is a positive, but he can use the 2 games he gets this year to take into an NRL pre-season which i do not think he has actually had yet. Think it is great to have him around as another option though in a somewhat depleated back-line in depth.
Stats: 50% possession, while 83% completions capped off the win with Dragons having 72% completions. We managed 84 more metres on 19 more runs, averaging 5 metres per run on that difference, not a good stat. Dragons had more line-breaks 7/5, though missed more tackles with 39/34, though had more offloads 14/12. Being undisciplined is what slayed the Dragons, 12 errors to 7, 6 penalties conceded to 2 and 3 set restarts to 1. Overall we won the stats but only won by 6, seemed we just could not capitalise on the advantages we received.
Most Impressive:
Dylan Brown: Was not amazing but was good, very good. Try saving tackle on Ravalawa showed how bad Asi actually was in defence. Brown had 114 metres running, 15 tackles to 1 missed and a try assist. 1 missed tackle is a god send compared to 4-5 missed from Asi. Brown and Moses looked rusty but Brown is leaps and bounds the player Asi is when he looks really good after missing 9 weeks of footy (including the byes).
Bryce Cartwright: Yes, i still want to party with Carty, particularly into 2025. What a way to celebrate an extension than a performances like that. Now, a few old Carty mannerism's appeared in forcing an offload when the play was not on. Though, old Carty also appeared with that try, running from dummy-half. What a season he has had and he is just getting better, 8 tackle breaks also.
Junior Paulo: Was better, much better than last few weeks, well months. 174 metres, 4 tackle breaks, 33 tackles 0 misses and a try. Much better from our co-captain.
Wiremu Greig: Who would have thought a player playing only 8 mins would feature on this list. Greig provided energy when we were lacking. I understand him only getting certain minutes more so due to coming back from months off and didn't want to over do it when we need him on the back end. But he took 7 runs in that 8 minutes, great effort.
Joe Ofahengaue: Shoot me, i do not care, i though Joe O was great on Sunday. He had 83 metres running, 21 tackles and 1 missed. Better than Ogden as it seems he is more settled. Give him a full off-season with the squad and he will be better. He can be the 3rd best Prop in the squad for sure.
Honorable mentions: Lussick, Moretti
Most Disappointing:
Bailey Simonsson: 33% tackles effeciency. Yes he didn't have a lot of help with having a back-row change three times between Matterson to Davey back to Matterson and back to Davey, plus a debutant winger. 3 tackles for 3 missed. Just feel Simonsson is a solid Centre, but we can definately do better. Simonsson has stopped running like Bambi on ice, which is a positive, but a move back to the wing might be better suited. It is a shame for say Sean Russell who might miss out when a Centre is signed but he has not done anything more than be solid, we need better than solid. Simonsson i think can add a little more than Russell at this stage but getting say Aaron Schoupp, Isaah Tass, Justin Olam or even Kayal Iro would be better for us moving forward.
Makahesi Makatoa: spent only 18 minutes on the field and was subbed at half-time and did not feature again. He looked gassed early, it hurt our middles. Bit of a shame for such a high-effort player.
Andrew Davey: He was not awful, nor do i dislike Davey, i quite like him as a player. But 5 runs in 45 minutes as a back-rower is not good enough, he averages 5 runs a game, his attacking workrate needs to improve considering how important Lane is to our left attack with Brown, Davey needs to pick-up that workrate. He is here for 2024, honestly unless he goes to ESL it will be his last year playing as he will be 32 at years end. He is a fine depth player but should not be handed a 17 spot in a full strength team. Is he better than Matt Doorey? I do not think so to be honest.
Ryan Carr: Complaining about decisions, get a grip mate you had plenty of chances to win, sacrificed a 20-10 lead.
Ok now into the home stretch with 2024 appearing in the mirror "Closer than you think". We are capable of beating big named teams, beating Brisbane at the GABBA, a week away from Sivo and RCG being back and making our 17 the strongest it can be apart from Lane, is massive.
Team changes have just been named as i write this and scrap the AMS comments, as Asi has come in. I thought same 1-17 but Asi to Centre i am not sure about. Davey starting is only due to not having Maka on the bench, Matto adds impact.
Enjoy your week, god save Parramatta.
Replies
I was personally really impressed with Lussick. But mostly because he did his job. Ran when he thought it was best, great clean passes from dummy half, and worked his ass off. I know he was an honorable mention but overall he was my most impressive.
Good write up though. Don't disagree with anything.
I like Ryan carr, he made his point pushed the envelope. Brad should take his lead. No need to go overboard like Ricky. It brings the refs into the spotlight and subconsciously makes them baulk next time around.
Loosing from a 10 point lead at half time, then blaming a 50/50 decision by the ref isn't what I would want from a coach.
I think simonsson has either stagnated or the opposition has figured him out. It appears he doesn't have a decent pass on him. He almost basketball passes the ball more than a traditional pass. The defence can stay on him as they know he's not a good passer.
I also think he may have been AMS's reason he started second guessing in defence. Once Sloan burnt Simonsson for pace on his outside AMS was in 2 minds whether to hold or come in. I think Sloan had a cracking game and could be the x factor style player we miss. Pure pace.
Simonsson is a decent Centre, but is one dimensional. My concern with him on the Wing is my theory that he is more comfortable of a player on the left side, when he runs likes to lean in with left shoulder most times, running from right it is awkward to do that.
They are professional footballers and should play either side, but Simonsson has only ever played well for us on the left side. So remains to be seen if it was all confidence or simple fact he cannot play on the right.
We are buying a Centre for 2024, meaning Simonsson will be a Winger in 2024. But i would also be signing another winger, maybe a diamond in the rough from NSW cup like we did with Sivo, just to have in case Simonsson goes back into his shell. I hope not as if we get a quality Centre and have Simonsson on the Wing we would have a pretty good back-line with Gutho, Sivo and Penisini as well.
Yep, Simmonson had a bad day. Also came in unnecessarily on Browns mark causing ASM to mark the centre creating an overlap that led to a try.
He's shown he can do better in the past, needs to find that form again. If he can he's our best centre option available.
Being at the game, and watching from the Northern end, whilst AMS had an average afternoon in defence, he definitley wasnt' helped by his inside men. Same old story with compressed defence and not shuffling out fast enough. Simmonsen did not help him at all and looked a bit lost defesively. On one of Ravalawa's tries, Gutho made little to no effort to push out wide from the ruck, even though everyone could see it was coming. Mixed bag of a debut, with a good try and some tough runs. I agree he can become a good first grader, just probably a bit raw still.
I like Doorey, although Davey isn't so much as being selected ahead of Doorey, more that Doorey keeps getting injured.
More so saying next year, if both Doorey and Davey are fit, Davey will be picked ahead of Doorey. I do not think that should be the case.
I don't know about that. The club likes Doorey and he was a junior teammate of Penisini and Russell, playing on their edge. Coaching team has just been slowly blooding him into first grade given his injury history.